The Story of Orach
by orpheusgroun
Summary: This is about a blood bender who resents his avatar brother and wants nothing more to be him.


Air. Fire. Water. Earth. Only the Avatar can master all these elements and save the world. When I was young, I was taught to be a waterbender, and told that the avatar was my enemy. She was the one to imprison my family and ruin the lives that they sought. After defeating Kuvira, Avatar Korra enslaved my people, so the world could become balanced once again. Years later, Korra passed, bestowing the power of the Avatar upon my brother. Since the cycle of the Avatar, my family has never been the same.

I have not seen my brother in years. He traveled to Republic City to meet with Bolin and Jenora to master Earth and Air Bending. I personally thought it was a waste of time. He has been writing me letters to inform me of how things were going. I have been writing him back, but I have been feeling that it is just an obligation because he is my brother.

"Hey, Orach, I have another letter for you from your brother." My mother never received letters from him and I feel as if she was hurt by that. I could hear it in her voice.

I went downstairs to find my mother in tears. Her eyes were swelled and her face a deep red. I could see the sadness on her face as she put the unopened letter in my hand.

"Thank you, mother. You will get a letter soon. He has been so busy lately I am surprised he has time to write to me," I said.

I went back upstairs to read the letter and was surprised by its contents. There were photos of his newfound bending and a small note resting in the bottom of the envelope. I read the note:

 _Hello brother,_

 _I am sorry that I have been writing you this much. I know our family has been torn apart ever since I became the Avatar. I thought these pictures might help lessen the anger you have toward me. They show how much I have accomplished over the years we have been separated._

 _As you can see I have not learned the art of waterbending as that is proving most difficult. My teacher has been away for quite some time and he will not be back._

 _I am hoping to return home soon, so I can be with my family. How is mom doing? She has not been writing me recently and I am getting worried. Tell her I will be writing her as soon as I get a chance._

 _See you soon,_

 _Talsor_

 _P.S. I hope you can come visit. I sent a boat to come pick you up. I hope you don't send it back empty. It should be arriving the same day you received this letter. I timed it._

I did not know what to do. I was questioning every aspect of this letter. Should I visit the one and only person I have every reason to despise? The only thing I could do was go to my mother.

"Mom, this letter has sent much good news on my brother. I will leave it here. It was not just a letter to me, but pictures for both of us. He wants me to visit Republic City and the friends he has made there, but I wanted to know what you think I should do. The ship will be arriving today and the decision must be made."

"I think you should go. Before you do, I need to teach you something. I will meet you outside, I need to check something."

I walked to the door and looked back. She was reading the letter. It seemed like she was getting more angry the further she read. Instead of questioning, I turned around and walked outside, and then around our house. I never noticed how beautiful our snow-filled land was when the moon was rising.

Seconds after I sat on the snow in the backyard, my mother came out. "Don't sit, we have work to do. If you want to go visit your brother, I have a job for you. After all, he is the avatar."

I was scared by this statement. I did not know what she meant by that. Still, I knew that I had to stand up. "Now you know how to waterbend quite well, but you have the potential to learn a new form of waterbending. With this, I expect you to go to your brother and teach him this technique so he can be more successful."

All of a sudden, I started feeling pain coursing through my body. I was starting to go numb. It felt like she was moving my blood and other fluids inside my body. I no longer had control. Watching my mother, in a stance unfamiliar to me, hurting me, was unforgivable. I had to deal with the pain until I learned the stance. It looked simple, but was I ready to learn such a deadly kind of bending? "Your turn," she said.

I fell to the ground in agonizing pain. I could barely stand and she wanted me to do the same to her. It felt like I got pummeled by rocks thrown by earthbenders, or my brother. It was my turn. I got in my mother's stance that kind of looked like a puppeteer and felt the fluids inside of her. I started moving them. I wanted her to feel my pain.

She knew I was going too far and fear in her eyes shot at me like a dart. Her blood started coming out of her body and dripping on the snow beneath her. I made her blood shatter her tibia and fibula and she crumpled to the ground. Her feet were slowly shriveling and coming off her body as the blood drained. The crimson red that came out of her was all I needed to see. It satisfied me.

As I put her down, her body was cold. I realised that all the blood she once had was gone, spilled over the snow. There was nothing left. I had killed my mother and for some reason I did not feel guilt. She taught me all I needed to know in order to kill the Avatar.

As I arrived to Republic City, people started to greet me. I could not understand them because there were so many people. When I looked past them, I had realized that the city was not the same as my brother had shown me in the pictures. All of the city's beauty was gone, and the only thing I could think was someone getting to the avatar before me.

I burst through the crowd with my newfound technique. I have been getting good at it, and I did not have to develop that full stance anymore. Suddenly, people started running in fear as their friends and family fell to the ground.

"Where is my brother. He is Avatar Talsor."

"Please, don't hurt us anymore. We have not seen the Avatar in ages. The only information that was given to us was his identity," a man said cowering in fear. "We mean no harm. Our latest report from the news station said he was being kept somewhere safe until the battle of Republic City is over."

"The battle for Republic City," I asked confused. It was weird thinking that Republic City would be in shambles. It only took a month of travel from the Southern Water Tribe.

"Yes, sir. The fire nation is coming back to take over the world and Republic City is it's primary target. The nation knows that taking Republic City would be like taking the world," he said. "The benders here are doing their best to stop the fire nation, but their enemy proves to be strong. Maybe you could help us."

"I never had that intention, but if it means finding my brother I will do just that. Make sure the news station knows of my coming. The avatar must come join the battle." I said to him. "I know he will come to see his brother."

Just as I finished my statement, a building was bombed by a giant ball of fire. The building started crumbling until nothing was left, but a pile of ashes. As I looked up, more fireballs were hurtling toward the city.

"They are launching an attack. We must get out of here," a police officer yelled out as herds of people ran past him toward the other end of the city. "Hurry, hurry. There is not much time." He wasn't paying attention to me, so it gave me time to run toward the fleet. "Hey kid, the other way. That way is too dangerous."

I didn't listen to him and closed in on the fleet. There had to be over a hundred ships closing in on the city.

"Give us the Avatar and your city," a voice proclaimed. "If you hand us both right now, we will not have to burn this city down."

"Who are you? You will not be taking Republic City or the Avatar." I used my bending to wash people off of their ships and sank three before I was attacked by a Fire Nation guard. "So you are the one trying to take my brother?"

The Fire Nation guard responded, "I am Second in Command of the Fire Nation's military, Isarac. I am here to take the Avatar, so he does not try and interfere with the Fire Nation. I will not let some weakling of a waterbender take down all my ships."

"You do not have to let me. I am going to take them down whether you like it or not. I am the only one who will reach the Avatar," I stated as I smiled at the guard. "Now, let me show you what real power looks like."

I stood in my stance as that seemed to make my power stronger. "Wait, what are you doing?" His voice meant nothing. He was after the same thing I was and I could not let him advance any further. "Why, is my blood moving like this. How are you using that technique without a full moon. It's Imposs…"

Just as he fell on the deck of his ship, it seemed as if the military decided to retreat. As they were leaving, I started sinking ships one by one until a hand was felt on my shoulder. It was soft and recognizable. I turned around, seeing that it was him.

Entering his home, reminded me of my own in which the style was very simplistic. He did not have much in his home like many people in Republic City and it was very small. He had knick-knacks and drawings scattered around every room. Each room was different and they reminded me of a time in the past in which I shared with my brother. Some rooms I was unsure of though. These rooms seemed to have drawings that symbolized his accomplishments as the new avatar.

One drawing managed to catch my attention. It was a drawing of my family being ripped apart by an evil that seeped deep within our greatest memories. It reminded me of what I did to my mother and the truth behind it. I felt as if he knew of what was to become of his family and he would eventually have to bring balance amongst us.

"Brother, come here. Have some water to freshen up. I know it's your favorite." His smile made me feel as if he knew their was a great burden on my soul.

"Yes, thank you. I have come here with depressing news. Our mother has passed and we are the only one's left in our family," I said with a depressed look on my face. "We must settle this. Whatever arguments we have had and whatever evil burns within us, we must stop now. That picture you had in the other room reminded me of that."

"That is why I have requested your attendance in Republic City," he said. "I wanted to make things right. I actually drew that before I sent the letter, and it concerned me. Being the avatar was not a choice, and I know the anger of our family burns deep within. I thought we could do some things together. Maybe, catch up on some things."

"That is a good idea, but I have not come to have a good time," after I said that a confused look appeared on his face. "I have an official request from our mother to teach you a new technique that is not primarily learned as a normal water bender."

"Unfortunately, I have not mastered waterbending and I need a teacher who will be here to stay." There was a certain anger in his voice, that surprised me because he was so calm in his younger years. "Anyway, that is the other reason I have brought you here. I was hoping you could teach me waterbending and help me stop the fire nation."

"I suppose I could, but it could take years of practice. I have to teach you the other form of waterbending so I might as well teach you this form as well."

Years passed and his bending technique seemed to improve. He was able to move water freely without trouble. He even created a new water technique, one like none other. This technique allowed him to create a dragon out of water that could engulf his enemy and drag them into the depths of the ocean. This proved to me that he could learn the new technique that was taught to me by my mother.

"You are ready. You have officially mastered waterbending and have become a full avatar." His eyes shone brighter than normal. "Try going into the avatar state."

He sat down, legs crossed. He closed his eyes as if he were going to meditate and then reopened them. Once reopened, light beamed out of them that was as white as the snow in the Southern Water Tribe. Elements of air, fire, water, and earth started swirling around him and showing his true power.

Once these elements died down, he closed his eyes and reopened them, returning to his original bright green eyes.

"You did it. You successfully became a full avatar. I am proud of you brother," I said with great happiness. "I have a final message from our mother that you may be delighted to know. When she passed, she asked me to teach you the secret art of waterbending known as bloodbending. If you do not want to learn this dreadful technique, then I will not teach it to you."

"I am grateful that our mother has one final wish, but I do not wish to become a dark avatar like the own who imprisoned our ancestors," he said to me with a displeased look on his face. "Although, I am only feeding your anger, I must go meet with the previous past-life we know as Korra. She will be able to tell the true story of our ancestors demise."

My brother, then went back into his meditative state, but this time his eyes had not reopened. I knew he was about to contact Korra.

Suddenly, a ghostly figure in the shape of Korra appeared in front of us. Her hair was up and she was wearing a water tribe uniform that looked kind of like mine. One thing surprised me though. I could hear the whole conversation. Was my brother that powerful?

"So, you have brought me here to talk about the truth about your family," Korra said to my brother. "You know of the war between Kuvira and Republic City yes."

My brother nodded.

"Well, your family was in charge at the time and they had to learn that it's a consequence of their actions. I am not surprised your family never spoke of their actions," she said with a confused look. "They could not have known to give you the true reason they were imprisoned. Although, I feel you are in grave danger. Your brother blames me for the havoc I brought upon your family and I feel like he will take his revenge on you now that you are the next avatar."

"That seems like it makes sense, but do you think my brother will hurt me? I trust him now more than ever. I planned to come here to converse about the actions leading to my families imprisonment that way I could inform my brother that your actions were just."

Did my brother really trust me? Should I change my actions in case I face the same consequences?

Korra said, "Well there is one detail neither of you know about your family. Your great grandmother, she was orphaned due to lack of a feasible mother. Your ancestor who was imprisoned was actually the one and only Kuvira."

"Wait, why didn't we know about this."

"Your great grandmother never knew her mother. The story could never get passed down in your family because the story was never there. The only people to know of the child's whereabouts were Jenora and I. We were the ones that kept track of the child to make sure she grew correctly and not take on Kuvira's actions. The only detail that we told her was that I imprisoned her real family." She now looked sad. "That is why your family has such a hatred for the avatar. They do not know the whole story. I am sorry that it turned out this way."

"Thanks for the information." Korra started to tear up. "It's okay. My brother and I can now have peace with ourselves and our family. The hatred for the avatar will end right now."

Korra suddenly vanished and my brother came back into consciousness.

"Brother I have great news. The only family member of ours that was imprisoned was Kuvir…"

"I know." I interrupted before he could finish. "I heard the whole conversation. There are some things I have to inform you about though. I am over my anger for you. Honestly, I came here to end your life, but after hearing all this information all I can do is thank you." A long silence filled the air. "I know you may be mad, but there is more information you should know." Barely getting it out I was able to tell him, "Our mother didn't die due to natural causes… I killed her."

"I understand. You had much hatred for me and the power she taught you before you came was too much for you to handle at one time. I should have been there. It is a grave thing, but I forgive you."

"Wait, you're not mad."

"I knew she wanted the avatar dead just as much as you and eventually would teach you that technique to kill me. You did the right thing. Thank you. Let's just go back to my place to devise a plan to drive the fire nation out of Republic City." He said with a smile. "Maybe our mother can be brought here for her funeral. We can tell her everything."

And with that, we were hugging. It was a wonderful moment that I thought I would never experience. We were able to walk away from our location, with our arms around one another and head toward his place to get prepared for the fire nation's next attack.


End file.
